Paul Morphy's 5 Most Brilliant Chess Moves

Join GM Simon Williams as he breaks down the best moves from Paul Morphy, the first great American chess player and considered by many to be an unofficial world champion.
Paul Morphy was born in 1837, stopped playing serious chess by 1860, and died in 1884. But in his brief time in the chess world, he made a lasting impression, and to this day his name is synonymous with rapid development and dominant victories.
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#amazingchessmoves #paulmorphy #top5chessmoves

[@chess]

Learn more about Paul Morphy's life and chess games here: www.chess.com/players/paul-morphy

[@chessstudy8362]

This is my fevorate play series.. Keep serving such a valuable things... Love you chess.com

[@jdrodrigues7]

As a player who has defeated Masters and was offered a Harvard "B" team spot, I have reached that skill and performed all of the tactics displayed in this video. Since you wish to okay like that and I am here, I will share two basic ideas to help you skyrocket in skill within 100 Blitz games. Firstly, try to play a whole game from at least the mid-game with only Double Attacks where one flows into the next. Secondly, gain and stack initiative but don't use it for a long as possible only using it when the Chess board tells you not when you can't keep track on plans. Good luck! My highest Harvard Chess Club ranking during a single tournament was a 2200 one where I went undefeated versus registered Experts beat a 2375IM. It was a 21 person tournament. Those two ideas is all you need until IM skill.

[@afbanales]

First example...please explain why the queen simply cant take the rook?

[@gracewu6792]

These moves are like the best moves I have ever seen

[@teklados1603]

Great!but I hope they have the same era with magnus

[@Amirreza_Karimi]

"Chess can be artistic pursuit, but when Morphy was playing, it was something glorious to behold."

[@LeventK]

How are you top comment?

[@Amirreza_Karimi]

@@LeventK damned If I know

[@LeventK]

@@Amirreza_Karimi not damned anymore 👍🏻

[@caseysprague4875]

Bruh

[@SugeKnightMista]

@@LeventK haha, no shit?!?

[@sourabhg284]

I really enjoy these series

[@sourabhg284]

@@davidschneide5422 yea that would be great

[@annayartseva]

me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thomasfriedl3137]

Paul Morphy was so ahead of his competition that he had no competition

[@davidcopson5800]

What if he wanted to enter a competition?

[@Garou.5600]

​@@davidcopson5800he played all strong players at his time and destroyed them like ragdolls so yeah . Also he had played 1st American chess congress where he crushed everyone

[@brockobama257]

If Paul Morphy and Michail Tal ever got together I would pay my life’s savings to watch their game

[@jurjenvanderhoek316]

So how much did you save in your life?

[@DotyFuzz]

@@jurjenvanderhoek316 don't be an ass

[@dusanninic9572]

Mikhail Tal would win that match! He was crazier genius !

[@jansnauwaert1785]

@@dusanninic9572 Nope, Morphy. Tal was an idiot.

[@dusanninic9572]

@@jansnauwaert1785 Can you prove that ???

[@andrewptob]

Imagine if Morphy actually studied the game and didn't give it up at 23! Greatest over the board chess mind ever.

[@uncookedbert3216]

Morphy did study.

[@ahmadshokry5945]

@@uncookedbert3216 by our standards no he didn't, there was very little theory back then compared to what a child would learn now in children chess club

[@andrewptob]

@@paulmorphy6187 Watching Morphy get all of his pieces into a game/attack is truly artistic. So far ahead of his time that it's kind of shocking.

[@morfi3395]

Indeed...and imagine if he would have had stronger competition, a coach , played more often than 3 or 4 games on a Sunday!...people who deny his brilliancy by comparing him with the current computer kids are just not getting it.

[@morfi3395]

@@uncookedbert3216 not really....played on Sundays and his first book was touched when he was 19.

[@gillrowley7264]

You know you're good when you're Fischer's favorite player.

[@michaelbaker9347]

I would suggest Tals 5 greatest moves, but i dont think its possible to narrow it down to 5. anyways, awesome series Simon! looking forward to more from you and your editors

[@noahskalbak547]

michael baker Me to

[@Khookies-lp2lu]

Oh wow. Geniuses Debating. Not to mention they finished it in a civilized way. What a rarity

[@mtemikibasa1072]

Tal should be 10 atleast, he was a father of brilliancies

[@hamidurrahman8736]

Hi guys, the video is all about Paul Morphy's 5 greatest chess moves. Talk about that. Please don't make irrelevant comments.

[@Khookies-lp2lu]

@@hamidurrahman8736 dude, they are making suggestions. Please, read the context. Thanks for being civil about it though, most people would have been hostile

[@fretho8410]

Morphy's playing style was so flashy. He had an almost uncanny talent for the game despite having access to very little chess theory. The fact that his games are still analyzed and continue to fascinate more than 150 years later speaks for itself. He was indeed the epitome of a chess genius.

[@aimeduquet4879]

Thanks Simon. Love those videos!

[@ginyouforce616]

What a genius.A player from the 19th century attracting 300k views; much more than many of today’s top players.

[@jacoboribilik3253]

Morphy's third game was played by him blindfolded at the age of 12 at his birthday party, that is totally true, look it up if you don't believe me. Such an outstanding player.

[@anthonybeaucher427]

You mean the fourth game? The third game was played against Louis Paulsen in the finals of the American Chess Congress...I think Morphy was around 20. I know the fourth game was played when Morphy was 12. I don't think he was blindfolded though, and seeing how it was played on October 28th while Morphy's birthday was in July, I doubt it was played at his birthday party.

[@Godlessgaming79]

ya butt Hans Niemann would have crushed him

[@probium2832]

@@Godlessgaming79 Ah yes Hans Niemals. Wonder if the cheating scandal is in his favour, or Magnus's

[@smhollanshead]

Paul Morphy, the greatest chess master of all time!!!’

[@donkbonktj5773]

@Thomas dxb no shit magnus would crush morphy..

[@donkbonktj5773]

@Thomas dxb Something doesn't add up. It's very irrelevant to say that Magnus is stronger than Morphy with the resource difference (like your comment said why Magnus is stronger). That's my point with my first reply. English is not my first language.

[@mrskinszszs]

@Thomas dxb give morphy the access magnus has to PC learning, and teams of 2800+ super GMs and Morphy would crush Magnus. Evaluating from a pure talent level, Morphy is the greatest player to ever touch the game.

[@alfikri3283]

@@donkbonktj5773 difference era bro, magnus play in computer era that easy to improve his skill by learn from computer but if magnus play in morphy's era morphy would crush magnus but if they played in this era magnus would win easily

[@Godlessgaming79]

no way Hans Niemann would have crushed him

[@rickiovine2170]

Do more Morphy like this! You had me LMAO with that bit of pasting the board to your hand showing off the masterful position of Morphy’s Bishops as your own and parading around town! Great stuff. This was a year ago so I am sure you have more on my 2nd favorite American of all time.

[@erikthehalfabee6234]

1:45 Black has sacrificed so much that he's still down a bishop if the Queen takes the rook. Isn't a perpetual the most Black has here?

[@surreptitiouswritings]

I was thinking the same thing. a few of the positions here looks like the response suggested or played weren't the best moves

[@bookskamaki]

he is a ginger, you understand that he is full of shit sometimes

[@smtparwatisahu2596]

Erik, after Qxb4 and Qxb4, white king is really naked, might be winning

[@erikthehalfabee6234]

@@smtparwatisahu2596 and how is black going to bring in the bishop to win the game? It looks like a perpetual at most because of the vulnerable king.

[@smtparwatisahu2596]

@@erikthehalfabee6234 it's also about the pawns...2 white to 7 black is a huge advantage

[@sacriste]

This is a great series, please add more of the classics: Capablanca, Alekhine, Tal, and the modern champions Anand, Kramnik, Topalov. Also Shirov and Short.

[@rhyschen]

And Bobby Fischers Best Moves/Games as well.

[@part-timejaffa6045]

Been loving this series. Great stuff

[@steves672]

The most brilliant and most entertaining comments about magic chess moments I've ever heared. Brovo Simon!

[@michaelmendillo4614]

I never get tired of watching Paul Morphy games, moves or anything else that includes the man , what a guy ! 😁✌

[@roppis9258]

5:37 I was thinking it will be something absurd like Re8 and then it was lmao

[@lerrygindgren2076]

Roppis is Qe6 also mate on the last move?

[@Matt-jq7zw]

@@lerrygindgren2076 yes

[@chrisoleary9876]

Love your videos! Keep it up!

[@farisuae1632]

Thank you very much Captain Simon Williams for this video and please continue

[@joeb4142]

The pride: Morphy’s chess brilliance The sorrow: that hair

[@thegorn]

He distracted his opponents with his hair. And maybe the odd fart.

[@Gos1234567]

Hey hipsters kill for a style like that!!

[@SugeKnightMista]

Flatulence as a strategy? It's diabolical

[@mohammadyassersabtal6501]

The videos are more shockingly surprising than the video titles... Good job!

[@jasper5016]

Subscribed just for your commentary. Paul M. was ahead of his time. What a great chess player!

[@timothysmith8047]

That first example was unreal. That was awesome

[@henrynavarra3260]

A very good and entertaining video from sir Simon Williams.. teo thumbs up for this video

[@myleshubert3540]

Idk how many times I've watched this particular top 5.. but I just love chess, love Morphy, love your top 5s...

[@wasekbillah8637]

Man! You voice and style of delivering is so stress relieving. Take love.

[@ProfJohnStats]

Great videos, I like the "5 most brilliant" series. I wanted to ask if you could make a video of forced draw where something like "take my bishop" (if you take, draw) or "take my piece" (if you take, draw). I once saw this game where a bishop kept chasing the other bishop begging to be taken to draw. I never found the game again for 15 years now.

[@rexhepiveli5343]

Your comments are funny and intelligent at the same time. Your channel is pretty addictive. Now, I really enjoy watching chess.

[@tematatata]

these series is brilliant!

[@Randy1337]

I am proud that I saw the second one with Ng3

[@kimandrews6106]

Great video. Morphy was the genius to top all chess geniuses.

[@arunjyotidas7]

I really love your commentary... Hats off guy..

[@AnnoShark]

Simon Williams and whoever edits these videos are doing such a great job with these videos :D If i would be able to be a GM i really wish that i would be like GM Williams

[@noxnc]

Top notch collection.

[@brentsarbon2551]

6:42 queen e6 was more beautiful than c7

[@piFFD513]

If disagree. I like how it looks like none of the pieces are connected/supported. It's almost like , "wait...how is this checkmate?"

[@faizanzahid490]

Finally the video i was waiting for and still waiting for legends like capablanca

[@sisyphus73]

Great passion for such beautiful artistry

[@darshanmane]

I thought mikhail tal was only magician. But paul morphy is also a silent killing magician.

[@matteopriotto5131]

Top 5 Tal, Karpov, Lasker or Capablanca please

[@Whatthefk189]

That two bishop checkmate. That’s a dream, Morphy definitely knew how to attack and sacrifice

[@herbertmische8660]

Great, fantastic and immortal Paul Morphy!!! Respect forever!!!

[@JackySupit]

wow!!! this are truly 5 magic moves!!! thank you sir for sharing this!

[@user-th2cp8uh8r]

Modern High Elo: "Oh, I've seen this move, Im gonna use this move that I have learned to counter this move" Paul Morphy: "oh shit, what do I do?(proceeds to solve the problem in a matter of seconds)". This was the real STRATEGICAL chess, no chess theories, just straight up impromptu chess playing and predicting the enemy's next move.

[@sureshgogada9996]

i watched more of this top 5 moves in chess...some of them i able to guess, but this top 5 are out of now where... simply magical

[@giriiyer3968]

You are right Paul Morphy is a joy to behold not tahl not Fischer came up with such stunners unarguably the two greatest of the modern era and I follow them

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

As surprising as a Morphy move, I was surprised when Simon was joking about how they resigned in the old days that he does a pretty poor British accent. Is that possible? Can a Brit do an unconvincing British accent? Great video BTW.

[@intergalacticdegengypsy6135]

That last one was sick

[@ZeroFanatic]

By the last one (specifically 8:54) if u move knight to E5 it would stop the check, stop the pawn from advancing and at same time would threaten the white bishop

[@markhughes7927]

Great presentation - bags of insight and energy - I hope you keep to the 10 min format - I’ll become a subscriber if you do.....

[@gr3759]

You are awesome!! I like the way you deliver the contents. It only inspires me to fall in love with English 1% more than chess.

[@AeonQuasar]

2:01 is the game over there though? Sac the queen for the remaining Rook and you have a Queen and Bishop vs 2 rooks and 2 bishops. That's fairly equal in my mind. The amount of pawn difference though, but 2 rooks should be able to make quick work of it even the playing field.

[@isakmaaan0326]

It’s -6 for black so yes the game is basically over

[@Ash-rx5wl]

Morphy is the GOAT, nothing more to say.🔥🔥

[@donkbonktj5773]

The Original Mozart Of Chess.

[@probium2832]

@@donkbonktj5773 Then who is its Beethoven?

[@donkbonktj5773]

@@probium2832 what

[@paulmorphy6187]

The last position reminds me of a blackburne game where he did something similar

[@Fatalgh0stt14]

Morphs game are the literal definition of pure talent , his ingenuity lives in forever

[@abubukrosman5729]

You are absolutely marvelous👍

[@turkiyett0928]

1:55 Qxb4 only move 6:17 Qxg7?!

[@pfsloan2597]

Hysterical commentary and ole' timey video.

[@narayandejesus218]

This was fun!

[@gracewu6792]

The second example was awesome. ( and the cherry on the top of Morphys cake was a good one

[@arkanoid7551]

8:51 that's kind of an engine move isn't it? :D

[@AbhishekTiwari-xt1kt]

No

[@LeventK]

Whatever you else play you lose so *NO*

[@arkanoid7551]

@@LeventK Right, that's why next best move is resign. Some engines, especially the more primitive ones, play desperado moves in similar circumstances.

[@guitarguy4372]

More Morphy please!💪

[@adamfirth3082]

Omg at 7:00 that position looks eerily similar to alpha zeros positon against stockfish in a match i saw on agadmators channel

[@namikazeswapnil671]

The effects simon give is soo funny😂

[@agartwisted7896]

Simon in every intro: “one of my favourite players of all time”

[@TheNice1263]

Oh.what a delight to see Morphy in this way

[@aleksandaraleksandrov412]

Hello, I would probably check mate the black king with Qe6 , I didn´t see the Qc6-checkmate, but it is also nice.I mean the game that started with Re8. Here are brilliant moves, brilliant play, and Fischer himself said once ,,Probably Morphy was the greatest genius of them all,,. Cheers from Bulgaria,Simon and bring us more!

[@willl793]

These are incredible!

[@vozamaraktv-art5595]

It hurts so much when you see people belittling and making fun of this absolute genius of chess player!! They say Morphy would lose terribly to any modern GM. Well then , explain to me why, the mighty Bobby Fischer himself said, that nobody sees the whole board like Morphy does (Meaning his intuition).

[@malachisavior5955]

People nowadays say whatever sheet first coming out of their mouth

[@vozamaraktv-art5595]

@@malachisavior5955 Sad, but true..

[@davidcharles7106]

02:01 - I wonder if white can make an effort to hold on by playing queen takes rook?

[@achyuththouta6957]

Exactly, whit was better in that position

[@achyuththouta6957]

White had an extra bishop and two rooks for a queen

[@GOLEM-yf4mx]

he can but big disadvantage like -6

[@manan21]

Plus 3 pass pawns

[@giriiyer3968]

I think in the second game there was a refutation without losing the queen pawn from f2 to f3 covering the queen and an escape square for the king but I'm not sure about the continuation after that

[@FloydMaxwell]

That first Morphy moment is definitely an all-timer

[@mamorossmenomacskamenet]

Whaaaaat the 5th example blew my mind.

[@GlauberLCR]

Morphy was a brilliant artist! Lovely moves!

[@ihateorphans]

Simon William's 5 best chess moves

[@michaelcastelpoggi1735]

Ending up in these lists is like being in a combo video

[@sasanrahbari1973]

Simon is amazing himself 👍

[@Ahsan_Habib_S]

4:20 why not bishop takes f2,next move bishop g2 was unstoppable mate!

[@nicolasgoossens]

In the second game, after using the bishop to take F3, White king backs up again. (jojo) I can't get my head around why he didn't use the bishop to take the rook on D1. Folowing up with the more elegant check by using his rook from E8 to E1, forcing white to go in between and sacrifice the queen, ending up in checkmate...

[@aaronjacobdavid6776]

in 3:36, if the black queen eats the rook in f1, either queen or king takes the rook, it'll also end in a checkmate, i also think it is much faster.

[@brbcrew9957]

Loved it

[@bartleysen5477]

6:40 👑 e6 is also #

[@espenbgh2540]

Paul Morphy was mentioned in the chess books I read, but only now do I see how brilliant he really was.

[@TheClyde1993]

What a player. Thank you.

[@hisyamkawilang]

Morphy deserves top 100 moves.

[@lightning77125]

3:39 I was sure it was Qxf1+ and Re1

[@Cod4Wii]

Morphy has the most beautiful works of art in chess games ever.

[@smason]

Move #5 might be the most brutal thing I've ever seen on the board. o_O

[@user-os2jf3fw4u]

What a brilliant 1st move!!! I clap for a while. He is such a genius about 150 years ago.

[@wiccatubitube]

simon i like your way of presenting.

[@giriiyer3968]

I'm not sure but I heard some where that when they ran his games through an engine one of his games got four exclamation marks for his brilliancy moves the highest till date

[@afifkhaja]

Morphy's tactics seem even more impressive than Kasparov's, Karpov's or Carlsen's. About to watch the Fischer video. This playlist is great!

[@nischay4760]

Because they dont get the chance to show such tactics as often since their opponents notice them too

[@grousetheghoul2754]

Without Paul Morphy modern chess would be impossible. I forget who said that, but he was right.

[@FloydMaxwell]

3:27 - black queen takes rook on f1. White queen takes black queen. Rook on e6 to e1. If white queen takes rook, other black rook takes with checkmate. If white queen doesn't take, black bishop to c1, then to a3.

[@LeventK]

How can bishop go c1?

[@eyosias1238]

Amazing moves

[@smellyracoon1018]

Hell yes Simon, Hell yes mate!

[@ronjasonaborita5358]

You are the most fun player that I watch. I will start calling my bishops laser beams now haha

[@josephmachila2925]

These are mind blowing moves